Sweetwater Creek State Park

This is a great state park located in close proximity to Atlanta. For just a $5 parking fee, you can take a car full of people out and enjoy a day in nature. Make sure to check out the ruins and spend some time by the water. The views are definitely worth the hike!

I found this park to stop by on our way to Douglasville. It was some great quiet time. There's a map on their site to help you navigate your way around. I'd suggest taking your own chairs or something to sit on. The benches are yucky if you're not trying to get dirty. I just went for some quiet time but they even have kayaks you can rent. I'd definitely return to do the trails.

What a nice place, many hiking trails and beautiful views of the river or the lake. Not too many people, dog friendly and plenty of parking. There are plenty of picnic tables, located all over the park and around the lake. Some trails are under repairs but rangers advised us to take the red trail to the yellow and it was very nice. We were able to enjoy the river, bridge and see the ruins on the other side of the river. Beautiful.....

Great park that’s only a short drive from the city. The grounds are clean and signage is pretty good. Park staff is pleasant and helpful. I went up to rent a kayak for a couple hours and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to do the rental. Boats are in decent shape and there’s a small ramp for getting in and out of the water. No beach area, but there’s a nice shaded section with picnic tables and room for blankets or your own seating. If you’re looking for this area, go away from the main visitor center and follow the signs for the bait shop. This may be my new go-to spot to get out of the city!

Great place for some mushroom spotting! We walked the Yellow Trail for 2 hours. Lots of water to see. Nice hills. Beautiful lush scenery. The Visitor’s Center is a cool learning space for any age! It has a nice mix of nature and history of the area. Parking looked dicey when we left, so get there early.